All posts tagged: coffee

Pass the decaf (and don’t judge)

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I wasn’t expecting what happened after my statement. His raucous laughter filled up the room and sent a shock wave through my whole body. A minute later, after he had calmed down, the following statement left his mouth – “Yea, that’s what all junkies say”. Junkie? Me? JUNKIE??? Oh god, oh god, oh god. I think he might be right. I was about to head on my first long run of my shiny new marathon training plan. Usually I have a coffee pre run and take gels that also contain caffeine. But wait – a few days previously I had given up coffee – hopefully for good. You might be wondering why I have given up coffee in the first place. I didn’t start drinking it until my mid-20s. But a trip to the land of unctuous crema and creamy strong flat whites changed that. From the moment first sipped on a cup of light brown heaven, I was hooked. Even sitting here now, I am imagining the satisfaction I get from the smell of …

London Grind, London Bridge

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Where London Grind, London Bridge What London Grind is the latest venue from the team behind the successful Shoreditch, Soho and Holborn Grind. It sits proudly riverside at 2 London Bridge on the doorstep of Borough Market. Inside, the bare bricks provide an understated decor which is effortlessly chic. Experience London Grind of course offers its name sake high-quality coffee but focus turns to their signature cocktail list and locally-sourced dishes to feed hungry brunch seekers and dinner diners alike. I knew my luck was in when my friend and I were seated at a table with a river view. We were instantly recommended the gin cocktail Clover Club and didn’t need our arms twisting. It was sweet and fresh and packed a raspberry punch. For those with a more savoury pallet try a Negroni or locally brewed beer from Fourpure brewery. Laid out on view were a selection of focaccia, cheese and meat sourced from Borough Market every morning. My friend and I opted to share plates and both loved the devine Mushroom and …

Foxcroft & Ginger – Whitechapel

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Where Foxcroft & Ginger, Whitechapel What Foxcroft & Ginger is an artisan café-cum-bakery offering brunch dishes, home-made cakes and baked goods, sour dough pizzas with ingredients all freshly made in-house. They pride themselves on their exquisite coffee as well as offering a range of craft beers and cocktails. Experience On a hungover Sunday morning, it took me and Sara an inexcusable amount of time to track down our seemingly elusive brunch destination. Sara is new to London, so not only was she no help, but she also had no idea what brunch was. Ideally located right on Mile End Road with, helpfully, ‘Foxcroft & Ginger’ written in big lights on the front, this glass fronted East London version of its Soho sister sits in the iconic old building that once housed the ‘Harrods of the east’. Fancy that! It couldn’t have been easier. Finally inside and the place was packed! Despite this, the helpful waitress seated us almost instantly in a great little spot by the window where we ordered two large Bloody Mary’s to …

Commune at Goodhood – Brett Redman of Elliot’s Partners with Goodhood

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Where Commune at Goodhood, Shoreditch What Commune at Goodhood is a partnership between Brett Redman (Elliot’s Cafe, Borough Market) and Goodhood co-founders Jo Sindle and Kyle Stewart. It’s located on the lower floor of the 3,000 square Goodhood store in Shoreditch, a plaec both men and women can find the best of a globally curated selection of womenswear, menswear, accessories, kidswear, beauty & grooming products and homeware. The experience Shoreditch has featured heavily in my London life. Nine years ago I was frequenting the Vice pub and slumming it in 333. In those days, the only clothing store I was aware of was American Apparel on Curtain Road. This was back when Redchurch Street was nothing but graffiti and the odd passer by. Shoreditch has changed a lot in that time, definitely for the better, and it’s not surprising that it has become one of London’s best shopping districts, full of independent boutiques, restaurants and cafes. I was invited to lunch at Commune at Goodhood this week, a partnership that intrigued me. I had a …

Pact – Mail Order Coffee at its Finest

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Name Pact What The best coffee, roasted in small batches, fresher & better tasting, ground to order, shipped to you everyday. Experience I don’t know about you, but I find it really hard to find good cafetiere coffee in the supermarkets. There is so much choice that at times it can be daunting. I know my favourite brands, but I like to explore and quite often end up buying something new and being disappointed with it. A few months ago, my coffee mate at work introduced me to Pact coffee – good quality mail order coffee, which arrived at his desk in a small but perfectly formed envelope. I thoroughly enjoyed the coffee, but after my friend switched to money saving mode, the morning coffee break sadly came to an end and I was back off spending my money in the local coffee shop. But I never forgot Pact, and it was great to have a reminder recently when I was sent a 250g pack of El Retiro, a coarsely ground batch with a strong …